Gene is one of my favored posters, so I'll make this one observation with no ill intent or criticism intended. His note was just the best place to attach it.

For years I was a heavy poster at another newsgroup. Often people would drop by, read a few posts, then report that the group content was not to their taste. The answer was always the same, "if you don't see content that interests you, start a thread!"

No one person can keep a group going. It's certainly a challenge when there is no steady stream of commercial output from the subject of our collected admiration. It's not like this is a Britany Spears group. This group has been blessed to have input from DB, an amazing and wonderful thing I didn't stop babbling about for days when I found the site (to the chagrin of those who share physical space with me). So, when there is no new musical stimulus, we talk about politics as an extension of the music and the interests of its creator. And, from there, we digress further.

I suppose I never knew this group at it's best, from the content analysis I am reading. But, it means something when those longtime posters still wish to have contact while waiting for new material to discuss. Good things take time, so I prefer to see shared anticipation in the random conversations—people chatting in a long line to a ticket window.

Kelly